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A Mixed Methods Pilot Trial of the STEP Home Workshop to Improve Reintegration and Reduce Suicide Risk for Recently Transitioned Veterans

Who can join

Ages 18 to 65 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

Inclusion Criteria:

* Recently transitioned Veterans within three years of separation from military service
* Self-reported functional impairment or reintegration difficulties as measured by the Military-to-Civilian Questionnaire (any item score \> 1 indicating "some difficulty"; M2CQ; \[71\])
* Sufficient English fluency
* Agree to participate (informed consent/HIPAA)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Active psychosis
* Imminent or acute high suicide risk requiring immediate crisis intervention (low-moderate non-imminent risk for suicide is allowed)
* Current moderate or severe substance use disorder
* Neurological diagnosis excluding TBI

  * Participants with mild substance use disorder will be allowed
  * Substance use is a common behavior that may contribute to reintegration difficulties and suicide risk

About the study

Risk of Veteran suicide is elevated during the first year of transition from military service to civilian life. Most Veteran suicides occur among Veterans who are not connected to VA healthcare. Suicide prevention and connection to care are therefore critical for recently transitioning Veterans. Transitioning Veterans require services to provide them with suicide prevention education, skills to manage their transition effectively, and support in their access to VA healthcare. Convenient, accessible, palatable, patient-centered care options that are cost-effective, easy to implement nationwide, and target domains known to mitigate suicide risk are needed during this critical transition period. This proposal would bridge this important healthcare gap using STEP-Home-SP, a transdiagnostic, non-stigmatizing, skills-based workshop. STEP-Home-SP will provide Veterans with suicide prevention education, skills to improve transition, support to access VA care, and a platform to decrease social isolation early in their military to civilian transition, thereby reducing suicide risk downstream.

What is being tested

• STEP-Home-SP (behavioral)
• Transition Assistance Program (behavioral)
• VA Solid Start (behavioral)

Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Participants: 120 · Started: Mar 1, 2024

Contact the study team

• Catherine B Fortier, PhD · Phone: (857) 364-4361

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05995678

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.